Houzi Training Log

[houzi]

So this was pretty successful, managed to hit all intended weights. Im goibg to repeat this process again, but I am about to start a new job and it may not be sustainable... I may end up droping to two lifting days per week, with a 3rd accessory/GPP session. ANYWAY....

Variations for the next block are going to be:

Day 1. Slingshot Bench Press
Day 2. Tempo Squat
Day 3. Bench Press/Feet Up Bench Press
Day 4. Pause Deadlift

Id like to get close to 190kg on Slingshot Bench Press, 210kg on Tempo Squat and 230kg on Pause Deadlift.

[houzi]

Slingshot Bench Press:
165kg x5 --- PR
132.5kg x4
132.5kg x4
132.5kg x4
132.5kg x4
132.5kg x4
132.5kg x4
132.5kg x4
132.5kg x4

Guillotine Press:
60kg x10
60kg x10

Pull Ups:
BW x10
BW x10
BW x10
BW x10

Skull Crushers:
30kg x15
30kg x15
30kg x15


Well this was a fun one. Quite happy with a new Slingshot 5RM (and 4RM), gives an estimated 1RM of 192.5kg. Could actually be on target for my goal.

[houzi]

Tempo Squat:
180kg x3 --- PR (I guess?)
137.5kg x4
137.5kg x4
137.5kg x4
137.5kg x4
137.5kg x4

Pause Front Squat:
60kg x5
60kg x5

Ab Wheel:
BW x10
BW x10
BW x10

Banded Monster Walks:
band x3 mins


Tempo Squats are done with a 5-0-0 tempo, and they suck. Im really trying to focus on loading up my quads to avoid my hips shooting up. Not sure if its working....
Does feel good to be back doing low bar though.

[houzi]

Bench Press:
110kg x10
110kg x10

Feet Up Bench Press:
115kg x5
115kg x5
115kg x5
115kg x5
115kg x5

Seated OHP:
52.5kg x10
52.5kg x10
52.5kg x10

Inverted Rows:
BW x20
BW x12
BW x10

[MarkKO]

Do you notice feet up bench being significantly harder than regular, especially for reps?

[houzi]

Do you notice feet up bench being significantly harder than regular, especially for reps?

Yes, its definately harder. I have a much reduced arch with my feet up so ROM is longer, and I feel like I am less able to really drive as hard into the bar as normal.

[MarkKO]

Do you notice feet up bench being significantly harder than regular, especially for reps?

Yes, its definately harder. I have a much reduced arch with my feet up so ROM is longer, and I feel like I am less able to really drive as hard into the bar as normal.

Ok, so that bit about the arch is interesting. My arch isn't much different, I can chest up fine with feet up so ROM is the same. What I notice is that I have way less pop off the chest without leg drive, and that translates to much less momentum to get through my sticking point.

[DanCR]

Do you notice feet up bench being significantly harder than regular, especially for reps?

Yes, its definately harder. I have a much reduced arch with my feet up so ROM is longer, and I feel like I am less able to really drive as hard into the bar as normal.

Ok, so that bit about the arch is interesting. My arch isn't much different, I can chest up fine with feet up so ROM is the same. What I notice is that I have way less pop off the chest without leg drive, and that translates to much less momentum to get through my sticking point.

Would you guys mind explaining what you cue / do to get your leg drive in normal, feet on the floor bench? I get none and I know that it’s always cost me material poundage. I know all of the standard cues and never have gotten anywhere. I’m curious as to what you guys, specifically, do, beginning with the set up.

[MarkKO]

Do you notice feet up bench being significantly harder than regular, especially for reps?

Yes, its definately harder. I have a much reduced arch with my feet up so ROM is longer, and I feel like I am less able to really drive as hard into the bar as normal.

Ok, so that bit about the arch is interesting. My arch isn't much different, I can chest up fine with feet up so ROM is the same. What I notice is that I have way less pop off the chest without leg drive, and that translates to much less momentum to get through my sticking point.

Would you guys mind explaining what you cue / do to get your leg drive in normal, feet on the floor bench? I get none and I know that it’s always cost me material poundage. I know all of the standard cues and never have gotten anywhere. I’m curious as to what you guys, specifically, do, beginning with the set up.

I'm going to start with the caveat that anything @Houzi says is worth more than anything I say because he benches very significantly more than I do.

I use the cues Greg Panora taught me, which are heels to traps and chest up. I set up by arching through with my feet planted on the floor, effectively I grip the bar and pull myself through the opening between the bar and bench. Then I push my feet hard into the floor forcing my heels down, whether or not they actually are in contact with the floor. THEN I pull myself up to the bar like doing an inverted row, pushing my chest hard up and curling my scaps under me all the while keeping my heels driven hard down. By the end of this, I'm pushing myself up onto my traps through the heels and that pressure remains until the set is complete. I never reset it during. As soon as I unrack, I'm pushing heels to traps and pushing chest hard up to the bar the whole time.

This way, leg drive is switched on before I even unrack and doesn't get switched off until I rack the bar again.

[houzi]

Do you notice feet up bench being significantly harder than regular, especially for reps?

Yes, its definately harder. I have a much reduced arch with my feet up so ROM is longer, and I feel like I am less able to really drive as hard into the bar as normal.

Ok, so that bit about the arch is interesting. My arch isn't much different, I can chest up fine with feet up so ROM is the same. What I notice is that I have way less pop off the chest without leg drive, and that translates to much less momentum to get through my sticking point.

Yeah theres definately less pop off the chest, I "feel it" in my pecs a tiny bit more than usual bench, probably from the extra ROM.

[houzi]

Would you guys mind explaining what you cue / do to get your leg drive in normal, feet on the floor bench? I get none and I know that it’s always cost me material poundage. I know all of the standard cues and never have gotten anywhere. I’m curious as to what you guys, specifically, do, beginning with the set up.

I guess the first thing to say is that the direction of your leg drive should be pushing your head off the end of the bench, rather than lifting your bum off the bench. Thats the first thing to look at. I saw someone explain it as a similar feeling to sitting in an office chair with wheels, and youre trying to push the chair around. Or if youve ever done wall sits, its a similar feeling.

As for my set up... I set up from my eyes downward.
I lay on the bench with my feet up, put my hands on the bar, and position myself so that my eyes are roughly under the bar. Then with my feet still on the bench, I raise my butt off the bench and row my body downward by a few inches.
I then drive my traps into the bench pad, which in turn causes my hips to rise higher off the pad and my torso is 45 degrees of more and basically facing the spotter behind me. (im trying to create the first half of the arch), and while driving my traps into the bench pad I slide up the pad until my eyes are back to being roughly under the bar.
At this point my hips are still in the air and my torso is still at a 45 degree angle facing the spotter. While trying to maintain that torso angle as much as possible (BIG CHEST, BIG CHEST!), I lower my butt onto the bench and lower my feet onto the ground, putting them as close to under my hios as possible (this completes the second half of the arch). As soon as my feet touch the ground I am screwing them into position and then pushing them, flat, into and along the floor as if I am trying to slide off the bench.
Everything is tensioned at this point, arch is cranked, hands are pushing into the bar and forcing my traps into the bench, feet are driving.
To unrack, I raise my butt off the bench and pull the bar down to where I want it. Once bar is in position, I lower my butt back down and re-screw my feet. Then Bench!

[houzi]

Well today was shit. Everyone should probably go ahead and ignore any advice Ive given in the post above, because I am clearly an idiot.



Pause Deadlift:
210kg x3 -- PR


That 3rd rep, about halfway up I think my hook grip started to slip and my back did "something" to compensate. Felt something tweak in my left lower erector. FUCK. It may have just been something else, but who knows. Not sheeringly painful, but enough to make me uncomfortable when i bend over to do anything.
So Im injured.... again. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Not doing any more sessions this week, i feel this is a sign to take a break.

Plans moving forward are 1) rehab this injury and 2) perhaps something more hypertrophy focused for a while. And actually stick with it for a few months. I could do with losing some fluff.


It just feels incredibly frustrating, last May my strength was at an all time high, then the past 18 months have been playing catch up. And now back at 0 again.

[MarkKO]

Fuck but that's unlucky. I can almost feel exactly what happened because I swear it's happened to me too.

If you aren't already, start training your abs as well.

[DanCR]

@MarkKO and @houzi, thank you both - much appreciated and am going to play with these tips.

Houzi, I hope the tweak turns out to be just that and resolves itself quickly. You're hardly an idiot over it happening. Or, if you are, I'm a blithering moron, because I've had so many back tweaks and don't lift anything close to what you do.

[houzi]

Fuck but that's unlucky. I can almost feel exactly what happened because I swear it's happened to me too.

If you aren't already, start training your abs as well.

Yeah, ive done something similar years ago. This time doesnt seem as bad, but its still going to sideline things for a while. Hopefully by next week I should have an idea of how long this will last.

[houzi]

Well folks, it seems Im back in business....


Slingshot Bench Press:
190kg x1 --- PR


Spent half of tuesday carrying my baby daughter around, and my back felt great by the evening. I knew wanted to do sonething today, but was likely going to take it easy.
Woke up this morning and I had no pain, just a feeling of a sore lower left back. Decided that I wanted to hit my slingshot bench goal for the end of the year and that I would shut everything down if there was any hint of pain or discomfort during the session.
I had zero discomfort, and honestly by the time I loaded 175kg for last warm up my back felt even better. 190kg moved pretty well, gives me hope I can hit it on Comp. Bench at some point. Heaviest thing Ive ever benched.
Ill try to upload a video later, im not on social media so no idea where ill upload it.

Plan for the next two weeks is just to deload and rehab, start next year feeling good. And hopefully avoid Covid that is popping off again....

[DanCR]

Heaviest thing Ive ever benched.
Ill try to upload a video later, im not on social media so no idea where ill upload it.

Quite the return from a tweak! I don’t have any social media either. I use www.streamable.com to upload videos.

[houzi]

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Ok, heres the 190kg.

[houzi]

Hanging Leg Raises:
BW x10
BW x10

Jefferson Curls:
20kg x20
20kg x20
20kg x20

Single Leg RDL:
20kg x10
20kg x10

Pull Ups:
BW x10
BW x10
BW x10


Easy sort-of-rehab session. Lower back feeling good. Zero pain in all the movements. Ill still take it easy the next week or two, just to let everything be 100%

[MarkKO]

I need a back tweak like that.

Nice.